Less Screaming, More Weightlifting: The Army Is Reinventing Basic Training for Gen Z

Although I had done some hard physical work to earn money for college, I was not sufficiently tough when I enlisted. The Army drill sergeants who taught me in Basic fixed that problem, but it wasn't accomplished by "football coach behavior." They acted like wartime drill sergeants, sometimes knocking our heads together to make a point. They had all served together in the 11th ACR in Vietnam and they were very tough. And that was what we needed. Trying to coax recruits to achieve desired attitudes and skills is not what will make folks ready to fight. I'm fine with more weight training, that's great for conditioning. But we need old-style drill sergeants as well to whip recruits into a team and toughen them up.